Sheath for hunting knives



Patented Nov. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHEATH FOR HUNTING KNIVES Phillip W. Davis, Stookbridge, Mass.

Application March 12, 1948, Serial No. 14,518

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in sheaths for hunting knives and the like and more particularly to a hunting-knife sheath incorporating improved means for securing the knife sheathed in the pocket provided therefor in and against accidental or unintentional removal from the sheath.

It is of course well known to provide a huntingknife sheath with some means for securing the knife pocketed in the sheath, such as a retaining strap or a metallic ring adapted to be passed over the knife handle. However, such have not been entirely satisfactory for various reasons, such as difilculty in applying them about the handle, cumbersome and expensive construction, etc. In the case of the securing ring type of knife handle securing means, which previously have been made of metal, a further disadvantage results from the fact that the handles of hunting knives are ofttimes enlarged at their outer or free end either for handle embellishment or to provide a better grip on the handle. Accordingly, such securing ring must have sufficient diameter to clear the handle enlargement, with the result that when passed over the enlarged handle end it has loose fit on the body of the handle and hence an unsecure holding action thereon.

Broadly stated, the present invention contemplates and provides an improved knife-handle securing means for hunting-knife sheaths which not only overcomes the disadvantages of the prior handle securing means but also is superior thereto in the ease and simplicity with which it may be slipped on to and from a knife handle, in its increased holding power and decreased size as compared to the prior ring forms of handles securing means, and in its ability to be applied to the handle with equal facility by both right-handed and left-handed hunters. More detailed objects of the invention are to provide a knife handle retaining or securing means for hunting-knife sheaths which is characterized by extremely simple and inexpensive construction, which is thoroughly dependable and effective in use and operation, and which may be applied to and removed from knife handles of varying sizes and designs in a simple finger manipulation.

The above and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawing illustrating a hunting-knife sheath provided with the improved knife-handle securing means according to the present invention, in which Fig. l is a front elevation of a hunting-knife sheath provided with the improved knife handle securing means;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are broken-away front elevations illustrating the holding action of the improved retaining means on a knife handle pocketed in the sheath and further illustrating alternative modes of applying the retaining means 'to the knife handle.

Referring to the drawings in detail, reference character ill generally designates a hunting-knife sheath or case of more or less conventional construction and design. Such sheath is usually made from elongated front and rear pieces I I, I2 of leather cut to proper size and shape, which are secured together along their edges as shown so as to provide an upwardly opening pocket for the knife blade, the rear piece being continued up wardly of the front piece toprovide a backing for the knife handle, as well as a means for'se curing the sheath to the belt o f the hunte gbe ing for the latter purpose provided with spaced, vertically disposed slots l3, [3a through which the belt may be threaded.

According to the invention, the sheath I0 is provided with means for frictionally securing the knife handle thereto, thereby normally to maintain the knife blade sheathed or housed within the sheath pocket aforesaid. As shown, such means comprises a ring or loop l5 made of flexible and preferably elastic material such as rub ber, either natural or synthetic, leather and the like, which is affixed to the sheath preferably by means of a leather thong l6 extending transversely across the sheath, the ends of the thong being stitched to the rear face of the sheath- The thong intermediate its ends isthreaded through an opening provided in'the sheath and extends from the front face thereof in the form of a vertically disposed eye ll. Due to the vertical disposition of the eye, the securing ring is vertically disposed in a plane at right angles to the normal vertical plane of the sheath proper. However, being yieldable, it may flex to one or the other side of its normal position and may also be readily twisted in either direction about its point of seourement when being applied to or removed from the knife handle to be secured.

Referring to Fig. 3, illustrating the action of the securing ring on the handle 20 of a hunting knife whose blade 2! is pocketed in the sheath, the handle being of the type having an enlarged free or outer end 22, it will be observed that the ring has been twisted counterclockwise out of its vertical plane and threaded over the enlarged end of the handle to assume a final position in which it encircles the body portion of the handle of lesser section than the enlarged end thereof. Due

to its elasticity, the ring can be stretched in passing it over the enlarged end 22, so that its initial diameter may be substantially less than if the ring were made of non-elastic material such as metal. Moreover, due to the tendency of the ring to contract to its unstressed diameter, it tends to fit more or less tightly about the reducedsection body portion of the handle when brought to encircling relation therewith. Again, due to the canted or twisted position of the ring relative to handle, which the ring assumes in its final encircling position, the relatively tight fit of ring on handle and its rubber construction, the ring exerts frictional holding power on the handle which is of a substantially high order, and thus functions to secure the handle to the sheath in thoroughly dependable manner.

It is also a feature of an elastic handle-securing ring as aforesaid that such a ring having fixed initial size maybe employed to secure knives having handles of various sizes and designs, since it is both stretchable and flexible as well. An elastic securing ring as here proposed is also of advantage in that it may be used with equal facility by left-handed as well as right-handed hunters since the ring may be twisted clockwise to its holding position shown in Fig. 4 in which itis'justas effective in its securing action as when twisted in counterclockwise direction as in Fig. 3.

Without further analysis, a knife-handle securing means for hunting knife sheaths as described achieves the desirable objectives as hereinbefore stated in overcoming the disadvantages of prior devices or means of similar function, while at the same timeproviding the advantages of simple and inexpensive construction, and ease in applying andremoving same from the knife handle. Moreover, by virtue of the elastic make-up of the ring and the manner of its mounting, the ring also provides a frictional holding action ona knife handle which it encircles, which is far superior to the prior handle securing means of the ring type wherein the securing ring is made of metal.

It will be understood that the specific details of the sheath construction are not essential, and also that many changes can be made in carrying out the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, and it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is 1. In a sheath for. hunting knives having a pocket for the knife blade and a backing for the knife handle, handle securing means comprising a closed ring of flexible elastic material, and means secured to said backing for mounting said ring so that it lies normally in a vertical plane at right angles to the normal vertical plane of the sheath, said ring due to its flexibility and elasticity being stretchable to thread over the free end of the handle when the blade is sheathed, and said means being operative to urge the ring to its normal vertical plane upon any twisting thereof consequent to its being threaded over the handle, whereby the ring exerts a frictional grip on said handle.

2. In a sheath for hunting knives having a pocket for the knife blade and a backing for the knife handle, handle securing means comprising a vertically disposed eye secured to said backing and extending forwardly therefrom, and a closed handle securing ring of? flexible elastic material extending through said eye, and being thereby normally maintained in a vertical plane at right angles to the normal vertical plane of the sheath, whereby when said ring is twisted out of itsvertical plane upon being threaded over the free end of the handle it exerts a frictional gripping action on the handle for securing the knife in the sheath.

3. In asheath for hunting knives having a pocket forthe knife blade and a backing for the knifehandle, a thong secured at its end portions to the rear face of the backing and having an intermediate portion extending through the backing and. forming a vertically disposed eye extending from the front face of the backing, a closed handle securing ring of flexible elastic material extending through said. eye and being thereby normally maintained in a vertical plane at right angles to the normal vertical plane of the sheath, whereby when said ring is twistedv in either direction about its point of securement in the eye upon being threaded over the free end of the knife handle it provides a frictional gripping action on said handle due to the tendency of the ring to return to its. normal vertical plane.

PHILLIP W. DAVIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 254,840 Perry Mar. 14, 1882 1,024,653 Sargent Apr. 30, 1912 1,123,862 Ellery Jan. 5, 1915 1,318,850 De Yong Oct. 14, 1919 

